Stress: A Lesson from Jesus

by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach,
CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries

Commissioned and sent – but not on your own power

Let’s look back at Mark 6 once again where in verse 7 Jesus commissioned the twelve disciples and sent them out. The Bible tells us that Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority and then He sent the out. He didn’t send them out under their own power. He gave them His power. Whatever ministry God has called you to, He has given you His power to successfully complete the mission to which you have been called. But you must choose to tap into the power source and use it. The stress we feel in ministry is often because we forgot to tap into His power and we try to do ministry on our own power.

If the disciples went out afraid that God’s power was only meant for Jesus or were too scared that they would fail, how many lives would have missed out on being changed? What experiences would the disciples have missed out on? What kind of accounting would they have had to give to Jesus when they returned? Just as Jesus did not send the disciples out on an assignment without empowering them for the task, God will not send you out into ministry without giving you the power you need to accomplish His plan.

When you are stressed, you’re invited to rest with Jesus

Let’s skip down to verse 30 of Mark 6. The disciples are now returning to Jesus and they tell Him everything they had done and everything they had taught. Can you imagine the scene? They are so excited, and they are all talking over one another. Thankfully, our sovereign Savior hears every voice as if it was the only one speaking. They are pumped up and have been running on the power that Jesus gave them. In fact, they had been so busy that verse 31 tells us they had not even had time to eat. Can you imagine being that busy? I personally find that there is always time for pizza and Dr. Pepper! Yet, even in their excitement, Jesus knew they were exhausted and hungry. Remember that even eustress is stress. So, Jesus invites them to come away with him for a time of rest.

Jesus invites you to come away with Him

Did you catch that? Jesus invites them to come away with him for a time of rest. Jesus doesn’t tell them to take a vacation or to go get a nap. He doesn’t send them away and say, “Hey guys, I can tell you’re really tired right now. Why don’t you go home and get some rest then come back when you are refreshed and ready to do more ministry.” No. He tells them to come away with him.

Certainly, there are times when we need to take a vacation and take some time to rest, refresh, and renew ourselves physically and spiritually. But when we do, don’t do it without Jesus. Psalm 62:5-8 says, “Yes, my soul, finds rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your heart to him for God is our refuge.”

ISO: True Rest

Do you ever lay down at night and try to sleep, but you simply cannot fall asleep? Your mind spins with whatever is causing you stress. Or you are busy planning out all the task that need to be accomplished tomorrow. Perhaps you make mental checklists of the meetings and appointments you have tomorrow. You spend hours – maybe even all night – in search of true rest. Sometimes the elusive physical rest we need escapes us because we need to first find spiritual rest.

Whatever it is that keeps you awake at night, you will never find true rest apart from Jesus. Only when we get alone with Jesus will we find the place where we can renew our strength. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” We won’t find it fretting and worrying about the various things that cause us stress. We won’t find it in frantically trying to solve the problem on our own power. Rest comes when we get alone with God, be still, and bask in His presence. When we find true rest in His presence and trust Him to work out our problems, cares, and concerns for our good, then our minds will relax and we will be able to sleep and find physical rest.

Just when you think there is time for rest, there is more ministry to do

So, the disciples go away with Jesus, looking forward to some much needed rest. Can you imagine, then, as they get to this place of rest that there is a multitude of people there waiting for them? Can you see them each looking around and asking, “I thought He said we’d get away to rest? Yet – here is another multitude of people.”

Because Jesus is God, he already knew the multitude would be there waiting for them. He was not surprised by it. But Jesus promised the disciples a time of rest, renewal, refreshment. So, if Jesus knew the multitude would be there and this is where Jesus took his disciples for rest, what was it about the multitude of people that would meet the need the disciples had?

Because of their hunger and exhaustion, the multitude was a very big stressor through the eyes of the disciples. But through the eyes of Jesus, the multitude would meet a need. The multitude had a physical need of hunger. The disciples were hungry also, but they also had a need of spiritual hunger. As Jesus met the physical need of the multitude, he would also meet the spiritual need of his disciples.  And, in doing so, Jesus will teach the disciples yet another lesson that will equip them and prepare them for spreading the gospel once Jesus is no longer with them. And Jesus uses the stress the disciples were faced with to teach them this lesson.

When rest is elusive, all you see is the stress

As the exhausted, hungry disciples look out over the multitude, probably with also some feelings of disappointment that that elusive rest Jesus promised is not quite yet coming, all they see is a problem – the people are hungry and there is nothing they have that could feed them all. They tell Jesus to send them away. Don’t we do that with our stressors? We pray and ask Jesus to remove the stress from our lives. The disciples just walked right up to Jesus and said, “Send them home, Jesus. They are all hungry.” (They were probably also thinking, “And so are we!”) But Jesus had a plan for them and for the multitude.

Jesus tells the disciples, “You feed them.” Can you imagine their stunned faces? As they survey the crowd to see what food was around, all they found was five loaves of bread and two small fish. They inform Jesus of what was available. Jesus tells them to have the people sit in groups of about fifty people each. So, they get the people to sit down. Jesus blesses the food and begins to break it apart. Every single person there had not just something to eat – they ate until they could eat no more and when they were done, they took up twelve baskets of leftovers.

Stress with a spiritual lesson from Jesus

What was the spiritual lesson for the disciples, and us, to learn? That our “available little bit” is more than enough when it is placed in the hands of Jesus. Like the disciples you have been supernaturally equipped for Your calling. Like those seated on the grassy plain were empty and hungry, when we are stressed out, we are also empty and hungry, spiritually. Just as Jesus fed the multitude of people with five loaves of bread and two fish, along with 12 baskets of leftovers, Jesus stands ready to fill you today, along with leftovers to carry you through to the next battle you face.

When it comes down to it, every single one of us who profess to be a child of God, is in ministry. You have been equipped and called to serve God and to minister to the lost. Every single one of us have an assignment, a battle mission, and there will come a day for when we must give an account for what He has called us to do. Will Jesus say “well done”? The key to avoiding stress, burnout and compassion fatigue is getting alone with Jesus and placing our little bit in the palm of his hand and watch the miracle that Jesus will do with it.

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Coming December 2021!

Pre-order for a 50% discount. You will get the complete set of downloadable self-care video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions.

Pre-order now to receive a 50% discount! (Releasing December 2021)

You will get the complete downloadable self-care video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions.

We know that ministry is hard! When you serve in ministry as staff or volunteer, you are on a spiritual battlefield 24/7. As you serve God, you fight for the Kingdom of God and our adversary is constantly attacking. He wants you to either lose your effectiveness in your ministry role or get you to quit. We must be sure we are reconnecting to the Vine (Jesus) so that we can refill, renew, and recharge. Then we can keep on pouring into others.

If you are feeling like you are losing the fight or struggling to stay in the fight, Jesus says to you, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31) Self-care is both Biblical and necessary, if you are going to stay in the fight and be effective in the Kingdom of God. Stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue are real weapons that the adversary uses against us.

Even if you do not serve in ministry, if you are a Christian, you too are in a spiritual battle. Every Christian fights the same adversary and our Biblical self-care principles are for every Christian.

What you get in this self-care course:

In Part 1 of this video-based course, you will learn about the spiritual dangers in ministry, discover if God is testing you or is Satan attacking you, understand that ministry is battlefield and how to be steadfast, immovable on the battlefield, learn how the devil uses his wiles and schemes against us, and remember how to use your Spiritual Armor. We will also breakdown stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

Part 2 is all about Preventing and Recovering from Burnout and Compassion Fatigue as we go through six areas that need self-care. In this part of the course we will provide you with practical ways that you can immediately begin practicing self-care. As you continue to serve God in whatever way He has called you, self-care is vital if you are not going to grow weary in doing good so you can reap at the proper time (Galatians 6:9).

Additionally, this packaged deal will provide 10 group coaching session where we will discuss the weekly assigned videos and do check-ins on where you are in each of the six areas of self-care that include: Spiritual, Sensory, Emotional, Social, Physical, and Intellectual.

Releasing in December 2021, this packaged deal will include the complete video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions with the author, Julia Bruce. In the 10-week program you will complete weekly videos and assignments and then meet virtually for a group coaching session to help you apply self-care where you need it. 

But wait! That’s not all! Check out this Bonus to the self-care course and coaching program.

BONUS: While this course and group coaching is not releasing until December 2021, if you’re purchasing this material, we know you need help now. So, if you purchase before the release date, we’ll place you in our new private Facebook membership page for free through the end of 2021. In January, this group will require a monthly subscription of $19.99. But it will be yours free through the end of year when you purchase the pre-release of the course and group coaching sessions.  

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